Kemp Crashes As Vail Advances In Manchester

Tim Vail became the first unseeded player to reach the men's quarter-finals of the British National Championships for eight years when he upset fellow Englishman Jonathan Kemp, the No7 seed, in today's second round at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.

After dropping the opening game, the 29-year-old from Lee-on-Solent beat his Shropshire opponent 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 in 39 minutes to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in eight appearances in the event.

"I thought before the match that if I played well, I could win it," said the England No16 who gave up the international circuit in 2002 to concentrate on coaching. "I'm chuffed to bits.

"My current form is down to the training sessions I've been having with Stacey Ross and Ian Robinson over the past eighteen months or so. My main aim now is to get into the England top ten."

Kemp came into the match having not played at all for the past two weeks as the result of a back ailment: "I knew what to expect against him - but he played really well. I didn't think I played badly, under the circumstances - but I couldn't miss the Nationals!"

Vail will meet favourite James Willstrop in the quarter-finals on Thursday, when the action at the National Squash Centre moves onto the all-glass show court. The Yorkshireman, playing on a conventional plaster court, "trundled" to an 11-9, 7-11, 11-3, 11-4 victory over Gloucestershire's 16th seed Alex Stait.

"It's important to realise that these courts don't suit the way I play - they're a real leveller - so when you encounter players like Alex, you have to treat them with a lot of respect," explained Willstrop, the 23-year-old world No9 from Pontefract.

"Unlike on the all-glass court, which we're so much more used to playing on, it's really hard to do anything with the ball. It makes you feel quite ordinary - you just have to trundle your way through matches!"

Willstrop's England and Pontefract club team-mate Lee Beachill cruised through his second round encounter, beating Oxfordshire's 12th seed Scott Handley 11-8, 11-6, 11-4.

"It's good to get off three-nil. I didn't feel amazing, but I'm hitting the ball well enough, which is good," said the three-times champion who is bidding to reach the final for a record seventh successive year.

"I'm just looking forward to getting back on the glass court now," added the third seed.

Welshman Alex Gough, the sixth seed, survived his second marathon battle in 24 hours when he overcame Gloucestershire's No9 seed Alister Walker 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4 in 78 minutes.

"I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday, following a good rest after the match," said the 36-year-old British Open Over-35 champion who reached last week's Swedish Open final against the seedings.

"I thought my win over Karim Darwish (the world No8) in last week's semi-finals in Sweden was one of the best performances of my life - and he was playing well - and this is the continuation of that," said Gough when asked to describe the way he felt he was playing currently.

"I'm hitting the ball well - so, as long as the body holds out, I should be fine. But it'll all be very different on the glass court."

Walker was disappointed at the outcome: "I gave myself a great chance before the match - and should have made more of it at 7-7 and 8-8 in both the first two games. But Alex knows how to play those points so well. There's a lot to learn mentally from a match like that," said the 24-year-old from Leeds.

Former champion Simon Parke was another 'marathon man' in action for the second day in row: The 34-year-old No8 seed from Yorkshire took 98 minutes to get the better of Essex's tenth seed Daryl Selby 11-7, 11-10 (5-3), 10-11 (0-2), 11-8.

"He's a phenomenal player, I've got so much respect for him," said Selby of his opponent, the 1998 champion, afterwards. "I can't remember winning any easy points - I was battling for my life all the time. I've never beaten him before, but I felt I played well. What an experience!"

Parke will now face higher-seeded Adrian Grant, the Yorkshire-based Londoner who beat Berkshire's unseeded Stephen Meads 11-10 (4-2), 11-3, 11-6. The match lasted 77 minutes, but 26 of those were off court while Grant was receiving treatment for a cut knuckle on his racket hand - sustained when he scraped his hand across the floor while reaching for a shot.

Favourite Tania Bailey coasted to a 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 win in 31 minutes over Manchester's Rebecca Botwright in the first round of the women's event. "I've played Becky probably three times in the past year - and this is definitely the best she's played," said Bailey.

"I feel great, I feel sharp - in fact it's the best I've felt going into a tournament for ages," explained the defending champion from Lincolnshire.

"Last year I wasn't expected to do well, so this year I guess there is a bit more pressure."

Tania and her England team-mates recorded an appearance on the BBC TV show 'Eggheads' last week. "I was more nervous doing that than I've ever been in all my life!"

Irish champion Madeline Perry made a welcome return to the event after a four-year gap to record her first ever win in the championship by beating Merseyside's Georgina Stoker 9-1, 9-0, 9-1 in 29 minutes.

"I wanted to play well here and get off to a good start," said the third seed from Banbridge, near Belfast, who celebrated her 30th birthday this week.

"In previous years I was concentrating on getting into the world top ten, but now that I've achieved that I want to try and win this - it's a title I really fancy!"

Manchester fans had to wait until the final match of the day to see local star Vicky Botwright claim her anticipated place in the quarter-finals with a 9-6, 9-3, 9-2 victory over Warwickshire qualifier Vicky Hynes.

"I didn't play super well, but I'm pleased to get through without dropping a game," said the second seed who has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in nine appearances since 1997.

Hynes, who had a baby boy some eighteen months ago, was making her return to the event after a three-year gap.

"She's a tricky player and considering how long she was out, she plays really well," added Botwright.

Men's 2nd round:
[1] James Willstrop (Yorks) bt [16] Alex Stait (Glos) 11-9, 7-11, 11-3, 11-4 (42m)
Tim Vail (Sussex) bt [7] Jonathan Kemp (Shropshire) 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (39m)
[3] Lee Beachill (Yorks) bt [12] Scott Handley (Oxon) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (35m)
[6] Alex Gough (Wales) bt [9] Alister Walker (Glos) 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4 (78m)
[8] Simon Parke (Yorks) bt [10] Daryl Selby (Essex) 11-7, 11-10 (5-3), 10-11 (0-2), 11-8 (98m)
[4] Adrian Grant (Kent) bt Stephen Meads (Berks) 11-10 (4-2), 11-3, 11-6 (77m)
[5] Peter Barker (Essex) bt [15] Lee Drew (Essex) 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 (48m)
[2] John White (Scotland) bt Hadrian Stiff (Devon) 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (28m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Tania Bailey (Lincs) bt Rebecca Botwright (Lancs) 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 (31m)
[6] Jenny Duncalf (Yorks) bt [Q] Karen Leach (Merseyside) 9-4, 9-1, 9-3 (30m)
[3] Madeline Perry (Ireland) bt Georgina Stoker (Merseyside) 9-1, 9-0, 9-1 (29m)
[8] Laura Hill (Derbyshire) bt [Q] Kirsty McPhee (Yorks) 10-8, 9-1, 9-4 (33m)
[7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Middx) bt Sarah Kippax (Cheshire) 9-4, 9-1, 9-0 (30m)
[4] Alison Waters (Middx) bt [Q] Lauren Siddall (Yorks) 6-9, 9-5, 9-3, 5-9, 9-5 (56m)
[5] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (Lancs) bt Laura Mylotte (Ireland) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 (22m)
[2] Vicky Botwright (Lancs) bt [Q] Vicky Hynes (Warwicks) 9-6, 9-3, 9-2 (32m)